Truss



Jan, 18, 1927.

H. P. SERIO TRUSS Filed April 11 1921 vlNVENTOR .5 5 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES HARRY PHILIP SERIO, ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

TRUSS.

Application filed April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,242.

The present invention relates to trusses and more particularly to the type designed for use with a hernia, an'object of this invention being to provide an improved means of supporting the truss upon a wearer so that its position is insured against accidental displacement. A further object of the invention is to provide a new manner of sup porting the front pad so that the latter may be adjusted over the wearer or toward and from such wearer, the first adjustment being for the purpose of properly locating the pad and the second adjustment being for obtaining the desired pressure at the rupture. A still further object of the invention is to utilize an adjusting fastener by which the pad is shifted over the wearer for securing the supporting belt or strap sections.

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the truss in side elevation with the belt or securing straps attached thereto;

Fig. 2 shows the truss in front elevation, the belt or securing straps being removed and the front pad being broken away;

Fig. 3vis an enlarged front view of the front pad;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the front pad showing its connection with the bridge spring Fig. 5 1s avertical section of the rear pad showing its connection with the bridge spring Fig. 6 is detail view of the front end' of the bridge, spring; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the pad supporting arm.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, 1 indicates the bridge or spring which is of bowed construction, the central portion being deflected laterally as shown in Fig. 2 in order to accommodate the spring to the side of the wearer, as the spring occupies on the wearer a substantially upright posi tion. To the rearmost end of this bridge spring, a rear pad 2 is connected, this connection being effected by bending the metal of which the spring 1 is made upon itself, to provide a loop 3, the free arm of the loop being welded or otherwise secured at A to the'spring. On the other arm of the loop a strap 5, secured to the rear face of the pad, turns. A headed projection 6 extends from the rear arm of the bridge spring and serves for anchoring the rear ends of the adjustable belt or strap sections 7 and 8, each section having a loop 9 at its opposite ends, the loops at the rear ends being secured to the headed projection 6.

A front pad 10 is supported at the forward end of the bridge spring and this pad is adjustable about two axes at right angles to each other, one permitting the adjustment of the pad toward and from the body of the user of the truss, and the other permitting the adjustment of the pad over the body of the user of the truss. In this instance, these adjustments are obtained by providing an arm 11 which may be mountedto turn upon a pivot pin 12 on the pad 10 and is adjustably connected to the spring arm 1. In order that the pad 10 may move freely toward the user of the truss about the pivot 12, while being held against free movement in the opposite direction, the arm may be provided with a ratchet surface 13 with which a pawl 14 cooperates, this pawl being mounted on the padand pivoted in this instance at 15 within a pocket 16 which also encloses the spring 17 ,the latter holding the pawl in cooperation with the ratchet 13. Pressure on the finger piece 18 of the pawl moves the nose 19 out of engagement with the ratchet while the spring 17 tends to hold the nose in engagement. with the ratchet.

The adjustment of the arm 11 on the bridge spring 1 about an axis at right angles to the axis of turning of the arm on the pad may be efiected by providing an enlargement 20 on the springand forming in said enlargement a screw threaded opening 21, the surface of the enlargement about the opening being roughened or corrugated at 22 concentrically with the opening 21. The arm 11 is provided with an opening 23, the walls of which are smooth and the face of the arm about the opening is corrugated at 2 1 to correspond with the corrugations 22 on the spring 1. A fastening device unites the arm 11 with the spring 1 and comprises, in this instance, a screw threaded portion 25 for engagment in the walls of the screw threaded opening 21, a cylindrical portion 26 for engaging in the opening 23, a shoulder 27 for cooperating with the outer face of the arm 11, and a headed extension 28. It is apparent that by loosening the fastening device in the spring 1, the arm 11 with the pad thereon may be swung at different angles to the spring 1 as shown in Fig. 3 in full and dotted lines. After the proper adjustment is secured, the fastening device is tightened to force through the shoulder 27 the corrugated portion 24 into cooperation with the corrugated portion 22. The headed extension 28 serves for anchoring the loops 9 at the forward ends of the belt sections 'Z-&

In the use of the truss, the spring portion projects substantially in an upright position to one side of the wearer, the pad 2 engaging the back and the pad 10 cooperating with the rupture. The pad 10 may be shifted sidewise with reference to the plane of the bridge spring to locate the rupture and the pressure on the rupture may be varied readily by adjusting the pad about the pivot 12. Increased pressure may be obtained by merely pressing inwardly on the pad while decreased pressure is obtained by pressure on the pawl, this being accom plished, if desired, through the clothes of the wearer. The pivot pin for securing the lateral adjustment of the pad also acts as an anchoring device for the belt sections. The manner of securing the rear pad to the bridge spring is novel and acts to limit the swinging movement of such pad. The manner of supporting the pad through an upright bridge spring with strap sections connected to opposite sides thereof above the pad insures the retaining of the bridge spring in its upright position.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A truss comprising a bowed bridge for extending about the body of a wearer, a front and a rear pad, the rear pad being connected to the rear arm of the bridge, an arm having the other pad adjustable thereon toward and from the first named pad, said arm also being adjustable on the other arm of the bridge about an axis at right angles to the axis about which the pad is adjustable on said arm so that the pad may be moved sidewise with reference to the bridge, and adjustable belt sections, each section having its two ends connected at fixed points to opposite arms of the bridge.

2. A truss comprising a bowed bridge, means for supporting said bridge on the body in an inverted and substantially upright position on one side of the body, a rear pad secured to the lower end of the rear arm of the bridge, a front pad, and a con.- nection between the front pad and the lower front end of the bridge having means for permitting the front pad to be adjusted about an axis above the center of the pad toward end from the rear pad, and having also means permitting such front pad to be adjusted about an axis above the pad to swing the pad side wise with reference to the bowed bridge.

3. A truss comprising a substantially upright and inverted bowed bridge, a waist belt for surrounding the waist below the uppermost portion of the bridge, a rear pad supported by the bridge, a front pad. and an arm connecting the front pad with the forward arm of the bridge said arm being adjustable sidewise on the bridge about one axis and having the pad mounted to be adjusted on the arm about an axis substantially at a right angle to the axisabout which the arm swings on the bridge spring.

4. A truss comprising a bowed bridge, a rear pad mounted to rock on the rear arm of said bridge, a front pad, an arm on which the front pad is pivotally mounted, a shouldered fastener pivotally connecting said arm to the front arm of the bridge to permit the armto be adjusted on the bridge at a right angle to the pivotal connection between the arm and the pad, said fastener having an extension with an enlarged'head, and belt sections connected to the rear arm of the bridge and having means permitting the connection of said sections with the headed extension of the fastener.

HARRY PHIDIP SEE-IO. 

